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v@atten tate gatritt @fitta ICHN T. HENRY, OF HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT..

Letters .Patent No. 72,735, dated .Decemer 31, 1867,

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP-SEEARS.

ein .gentille referat tu tu time trttert than mit mating ent tf the same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. HENRY, of Hamden, in the county ot New Haven, and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Sheep-Shears; and I dohereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part cf-this specification, and represent, irl- Figure 1, a top view. l

Figure 2, a like view illustrating the adjustment for opening.

Figure 3, the same closed.

Figure 4, a side view.

Figure 5, a section on line :1: x, through-the head; and in Figure 6 a section on line e' e.

The common manner of constructing sheep-shears, is to form the whole of steel, the loop at the head acting as a spring to forcethe blades apart. To this construction there are many objectionsamong which is the great cost o'f manufacture, and the xed spring which is incapable of adjustment, and which objections by my invention are entirely overcome.

To enable others to construct my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A B are two arms, xed respectively to the two parts of a head, C D, (see tig. 5,) and to the other end of the saidarms are fixed steel blades, E F. t The two parts of the head C D form a chamber, within which is arranged a wire or similar spring, Gr, (see tig. 5,) the two ends bearing respectively upon screws a and b in the arms, as seen in g. 6. The tendency of said spring is to hold the bladesl asunder, as seen in iig. 1, land the force with which the blades are so forced asunder is adjusted by the screws a and b. As by turning the screws in the force of tbe spring is increased, and bytnrning them c-nt diminished, therefore the spring for opening the shears may be adjusted to suit the handot the operator. The two parts of the head are secured by a bolt,

H, passing therethrough, and the two parts of the head are fitted together, relative to their respective blades, so that the edges of the two parts meet at the heel and are slightly open toward the head, so that by turning up the bolt the heads vare pressed harder together, causing the edge of thc blades to bear more strongly against cach other. This adjustment is necessary in Inany cases. The blades are attached to the arms by screws or rivets, and are formed from sheet steel, and struck up so as to form a concavity at f, upon the inside of each blade, as more clearly seen in iig. 4, which strengthens the blade at that point. Between the two arms I arrange a link, I, slotted so as to pass freely over a rivet, z, upon one arm, and the other end of the said link so as to cuter either one of several holes in the'other arm, so that by placing it, say, in the first hole, as in tig. 2, the blades are extended to their fullest extent, and when desirable that the blades he not so far extended, the link is placed in a hole nearer the blades, as in fig. 1, and when it is desirable to secure the blades in a closed position attach the link to the highest hole, as in g. 3, and thus by thispsimple arrangement thc opening ofthe blades is easily adjusted. i

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as newand usefulfand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. The head C D, formed upon or attached to the shank of the blades, a'nd constructed relatively to the edge of the blades, so that the two parts, C D, will bear hard Vtogether at the extreme point from thc blades, and opening toward the blades so as to be afljustedby the screw. II togovern the bearing of the blades upon each other,`substantially as herein set forth.

2. In combination with the blades E F, and the respective arms A B, I claim the head constructed so as to conceal the spring, substantially :is set forth.

3. In combination with the blades E F, andthe spring G, I claim the adjusting-screws cz and in thc arms ofthe respectivo blades, so 'as to` operate in the manner described.

4. The link I, in combination with the two arms A and B, arranged so as to adjust the opening, substantially as herein set forth.

1 JNO. T. HENRY.

Witnesses: j

A. J. TIBBITS, -JonN H. SHUMWAY. 

